Need More Pretty
by MinnieBSB
Summary: Just a short oneshot set after the episode Caretaker (Season 20, ep 7).


AN: Hello my lovely peeps! Season 20 episode 7 (Caretaker) was on a couple of hours ago and I got this little idea in my head. Hope y'all enjoy and have a great night!

Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.

Olivia sat on the couch with Noah snuggled into her side while they watched Wreck-It-Ralph for the thousandth time, but she wasn't complaining. They could watch anything he wanted if it meant that she could spend an hour and a half cuddling him without scaring him. This case had her rattled, clinging onto Noah more than she ever had before. Last night she stood in his doorway for two hours, just watching as he peacefully slept. She'd never understand how a mother could kill her children, crazy or not.

Unfortunately, the movie was wrapping up and she'd have to let go of him soon so he could get ready for bed.

"Mommy, you're hurting me" Noah whined, pushing against her to get some space. Her hand kept squeezing his arm while she was lost in thought, leaving a little mark.

"I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to" She said, planting a kiss on the top of his head. "I love you so much" She whispered into his hair.

"I love you too but ssshhhh. The movie is almost over".

Olivia bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh. He had never shushed her before, but at least he was polite about baby boy wasn't a baby anymore, and it was a bittersweet feeling. The movie was over a couple of minutes later and Noah knew that meant that it was time for him to take a shower, brush his teeth, and go to bed, leaving her alone with her thoughts in the living room. It took everything in her to fight off the urge to wait outside of the bathroom for him, deciding that it would be a little too far. Needing a distraction, she got up and started collecting toys off of the floor, tossing them into the toy box that magically only she could see in plain sight. She knew that she needed to make Noah clean them up himself, but not tonight.

"Are you going to read to me?" His little voice asked from down the hall, making her smile. Maybe he wasn't a baby anymore, but he did still want to spend time with his mom. So she read him a story, well two but only because he begged her with those big puppy dog eyes that made her melt, and tucked him. Forcing herself to leave his room after giving him a kiss. Unsure of what to do, she made her way back into the living room, flopping down on the couch with a sigh. It was early still and while she had a million things that she needed to do, she simply didn't want to do any of them. Her mind was elsewhere and she wouldn't be able to focus on any of her work anyway.

A soft knock on the door made her furrow her brow in confusion. She wasn't expecting anyone. She pulled herself back up with a grunt, hating how old she felt. Looking through the peephole she found none other than Peter Stone waiting outside her door. She unlocked the door and opened it all the way. "Peter" she greeted, only partially masking her surprise. It only took a couple of seconds for her to notice that his hands were behind his back, making her tilt her head to the side.

He brought his hands around to the front, presenting her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was a gorgeous arrangement of pink roses and lilies. She was so surprised that she couldn't get herself to say anything. All she could do was smile as she took the bouquet into her hands, bringing it up to her nose as her fingers toyed with some of the petals. It had been so long since she had literally stopped to smell the roses.

"I stopped by the station to check in on you. I know that this case was hard for you and Amanda, but you had already gone home. I saw the flowers on Amanda's desk and we got talking. She said that you told her to keep them because sometimes we need more pretty and I know that you were talking about more than the flowers. You were talking about kindness and compassion, and everything flowers represent and I...I thought you deserved to have some pretty of your own".

"Peter...Thank you" She whispered after a moment. No one had ever done something so sweet for her just because they thought she deserved it. Peter knew how hard this case had hit her and the fact that he did this just to make her smile made it even better.

"I-uh. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but there's something I wanted to say" He started, waiting a couple of seconds to continue so that he could gauge her reaction. "Flowers and puppies and rainbows are nice, but they're nothing compared to Olivia Benson. As long as you're around, I think that there's a decent amount of pretty in the world". He looked down at his feet nervously, making her smile even more, if that was possible. "I should go" He mumbled when she didn't say anything.

She set her flowers down on the armchair to her right before grabbing him by the tie, using it to pull him against her. Her lips met his before she could lose her nerve. It only took a second or two for him to start kissing her back, making her moan. When the need to breathe was too strong, she let go of him, biting her lip when he rested his forehead against hers. "How about a nightcap?" She offered.

"Absolutely".

* * *

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wipe the goofy smile off of her face as she made her way into the squad room the next morning. She greeted Fin, Amanda, and Carisi as she passed by, making a beeline to her office. They would know that something was up if she talked to them for more than a couple of seconds. The flowers on Amanda's desk caught her eye, making her think of last night. She unlocked the door to her office, gasping when she saw what was sitting in the middle of her desk. Tossing her coat and bag onto the sofa, she made her way over to the desk. It was another bouquet, but this time it was irises and red lilies, and the combination was absolutely breathtaking. A small card was tied to the vase, but she already knew who they were from. Even so, she needed to see what he wrote.

_I thought your office could use some pretty for when you're not in it. XO, Peter_


End file.
